None of the four Student Action executive candidates for the 2011 ASUC General Election will be attending The Daily Californian's ASUC Candidate Forum this afternoon, the party chair said earlier today.

In a voicemail left with The Daily Californian, Student Action Party Chair Shahriyar Bolandian said the candidates will instead be focusing on their campaigns.

"We just feel this year we're better off doing grassroots campaigning and connecting to people on a personal level, reaching out to every student that we can, and that's why the decision was made," he said in the voicemail.

According to Bolandian, the party has received requests to attend several other forums, some of which he said have already taken place without a Student Action presence.

Independent presidential candidate and current CalSERVE Senator Stefan Montouth said he was surprised that the Student Action slate will not attend forum.

"It's a disappointment that they are not being transparent with students," he said. "I feel like they're taking this as a joke now ... it's a shame."

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